


Ashes

by Adeline_Hatter



Category: Minecraft - Mystreet, aphmau - Fandom
Genre: Bar/Band AU, Based on art by Sherlockianhero, Brief References to Explict Content, Drinking, F/F, F/M, Multi, This is like five months late
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-09-06 07:23:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 19,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8740222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adeline_Hatter/pseuds/Adeline_Hatter
Summary: There's a bar located in a basement in a small town by the name of Valleyforge, across the street from it's most popular Maid-Cafe, and it draws people there. From the music that pumps through the floor boards, to the surrounding underground club run by a cold and busy gentleman.... "Basically we want to welcome you to Ashes, where Phoenixes rise."





	1. Raise You Like A Phoenix

**Author's Note:**

> This is the Band AU that is really late, and I started ages ago. Finally working on it again as you can see.

_ A door just like any other at the bottom of a long staircase, it’s black in colour with bursts of red, purple, pink, and blue. It’s like that because this is their place, the door swings open under a light twist of the doorknob, provided it’s unlocked first of course.  _

 

_ Stepping inside you’ll find a small bar shoved off to the far right wall, shelves filled with alcohol that no one could possibly name the country it was from, the stage is plush, but large, a large rectangle attached to the left wall, dark oak mixed with birch detailings, and red velvet curtains.  _

 

_ It smells like expensive perfume, coffee, something sweet, and there’s a slight tang of tobacco that lingers near the bar, pictures look on from the pillars marking the edges of the bar, along with black barstools that have scratches in them.  _

 

_ Initials are scratched into the oak wood bar, you look them over carefully, running your fingertips over hearts, eyes, and slight profanity that refused to come out when an attempt was made, so coasters find their way there.  _

 

_ Finally? The people look up at you, a woman with the bluest hair you’ve ever seen invites you to sit down from behind the bar, she asks for your order before making you something else entirely anyway.  _

 

_ Pink flairs in your vision as a me’ifwa argues with a guy in a mask her hands clasped around the neck of a bass, she shoots you a smile, before biting back with a loud third personed somewhat insult.  _

 

_ Finally? Dark hair, tanned skin, amber eyes plops herself on the stool next to you, and smiles brightly. You melt slightly as she speaks.  _

 

_ “You’re Aaron right? The guy who’s gonna be our new guitarist!”  _

* * *

 

Scotch does burn as it runs down throats, not as much as whiskey tends to, but it does shoot enough of a buzz to make them all pause as the bands set up on stage. 

 

Garroth himself prefers gin martini’s with a twist, and a very perched bowl of nuts within arms reach at all times. But he’s not allowed to drink until after  _ Guards _ goes on for the first time in three months at their favourite club. 

 

Ashes is something secret, and exclusive. Very few chosen to spread its location around, so it appeared more like a rumour or legend rather than something actually real. Still it draws a good crowd this evening given the set list. 

 

Sipping the cola in front of him, he scans the room for the rest of the band. Travis is next to him, elbow perched on the bar as he attempts to flirt with Katelyn, the bartender, and the second best drummer around, she ignores him in favour of serving the redhead acting a little too dramatic, but just enough that it suits her. 

 

He marvels at what his younger brother managed to create with a budget of thirty-five thousand dollars, and an old beat up forties styled basement across from where Aphmau had opened her maid cafe last year, “Zane did a pretty good job huh?” 

 

“A-Aphmau!” He almost spills his drink when one of his oldest ( _ crushes) _ friends plops herself down on a barstool next to him, her ripped jeans showing just the right amount of tan skin, the dark purple t-shirt of a band he’s never even heard of hugging her easily, “How’s it going?” She kicks her legs back and forth in sleek black chunky heels.

 

She shrugs, “One lemonade Katelyn, and it’s going fine. I mean we were a little lost when Michi quit the band but we managed to find a really good replacement last week.” Her answer strikes a chord when he remembers the me’ifwa who’d run out of here a month ago with a promise of revenge when they didn’t agree with her creative vision. 

 

“That’s good, shame they probably won’t be good enough to beat us still.” He lets a smirk encase his face, one he knows that Zane had mastered long ago, all he receives from doing that thought is her bright bubbling laughter, “Oh come on, like it’s easy to smirk like those two do.” By ‘Those Two’ he means his brothers. 

 

Aphmau’s bright smile is accent by dark purple lipstick, “Speaking of your brother.” Zane appears lifting up the entrance to behind the bar before disappearing behind it, nodding at them both, dark curls now unruly to the point that their Mother would insist on a haircut the moment she saw him next, “Hi Zane.” 

 

“Hello, Aphmau their ready for you and Katelyn on stage, remember twenty minute set, no longer no shorter.” He disappears into the stark white door in the wall, a plaque attached to it is labelled, ‘Office’ and a sigh sounds next to him. 

 

“I’d better go, Laurance is coming over here now. Tell him I said Hi, and to enjoy the show.” Her smile is slightly evil, and he knows Zane has rubbed off on her in recent years, “We think you and the boys will enjoy it.” 

 

“Hey Aph?” He manages to get in before she leaves to the stage. 

 

“Yes?” 

 

“What’s the new guitarist’s name?” 

 

“Aaron-” A loud burst of static covers the room, and she curses in a way that he wouldn’t have thought her capable of, “Shoot gotta go!” 

 

_ Erin? Pretty name.  _ He thinks to himself before downing his cola, and greeting Laurance.

* * *

 

 

The crowd is quiet, so quiet it’s almost unbearable sure there’s smatterings of chatter, but above all it is quiet….. 

 

Then the beat of the music starts, washing over the room immediately and the crowd erupts. 

 

“ _ You think you know me, but you don’t…. Know me. _ ” Her voice washes over the room, and all pairs of eyes are now facing the stage, a deep blue stare from the edge of the bar where Katelyn’s co-worker is making drinks much slower, narrows at the lead singer of Phoenixes, “ _ You think you own me, but you can’t control me! _ ” 

 

He places a hand on his face as the owner of the bar who hates him appears from the office, the aforementioned owner scans the room before leaning against the back shelf of the bar, looking at his best friend steal the show, “ _ You look at me and there’s just one thing that you see.”  _

 

 _“So listen to me.”_ She takes a hidden breath _“Listen to me!”_

 

From the edges of the crowd she scans, before she’s glaring at the Ex standing there with his arms crossed, and avoiding the gaze of Zane. 

 

“ _ You push me back! I’ll push you back! Harder, harder _ !” Had it been a bad break up? Most definitely, but then again how can it not be when your boyfriend cheats on you? “ _ You scream at me! I’ll scream at you! Louder, l-l-l-l-louder! _ ” 

 

Gene frowns at her, and Aphmau glares, looking pointedly at him as the spotlights turned on revealing the other band members, and the surprised look made her sure this had been the right choice of songs. 

 

_ “I’m dangerous, I’m warning you! But you’re not afraid of me!”  _ Swivelling back around to face her band who smile at her, even Aaron the new guy who’s both strangely familiar, and new,  _ “And I can’t convince you, you don’t know me _ !” 

* * *

  
  


“I thought you said it was a girl Garroth.” 

 

“I must have misheard her.” 

 

“How the fucking hell are we gonna beat that?”

 

“My fangirls are turning on me!” 

 

Zane smiles wickedly behind his mask at the other band set to perform later, his annoying brother one of them, to be fair Guards and Phoenixes play the same kind of music, just Phoenixes had a better set of rhythm overall. 

 

This basement bar was his pride and joy, in the six months since he’d been given the check, and the mission of opening up a successful business of his own… His dad of course hadn’t been by yet, but he trusted he’d be impressed by what he found. 

 

Glancing up at the stage he scans the band members one by one, Aphmau up front as always, hair whipping wildly with the swing of her hips, belting out the lyrics to ‘You Don’t Know Me’ by Elisabeth Gillies, they always started off with a cover of a song before launching off into their usual set list. 

 

He did wonder why they switched up the songs at the last minute, the original one they were going to do was Mr.Brightside by The Killers, instead it was this… But, the crowd was loving it either way, the other bartender was falling short on the orders…. No one could do it like Katelyn. 

 

Taking over, he took the orders from a group of early twenties probably fresh out of the college scene, ready for a friday night on the town. Comos, and one scotch and soda. Nothing changed there than. 

 

He made the order, and passed it out to it’s recipients before he looked up, locking eyes with Kawaii-Chan who winked, before her cheeks gained a pink hue and she looked away. His own face blew up with heat itself.

 

“Um Mr.Ro’Meave?” The other bartender said, hand reached out to prod him if the first try didn’t work, “You’re smiling Sir.” 

 

He was? He was. Zane’s face was straining, before he pulled his mask back up to hide it…. Then he turned his gaze back to the bar, “What?” He demanded of his brother, and his friends, they kept staring at him and his glare grew. 

 

“You were smiling because of Kawaii-Chan~” Travis popped up next to him, and barely avoided a punch to the head, “Admit~ It~” 

 

“Admit Katelyn doesn’t want to go out with you, and we have a deal.” 

 

“.....Nevermind…..” 

* * *

  
  


_ You stare at the hand she holds out to you, before throwing caution to the wind and taking it.  _

 

_ “That’s me.” You state it, her smile widens, the tratious thought crosses your mind suddenly that she’s really pretty to the point of no return, but probably doesn’t believe in that fact herself, “I heard about this from an acquaintance.”  _

 

_ The aforementioned acquaintance pauses in fighting with the bass player on stage with him, and walks off in a huff, “That’s Zane, he owns the place.” She informs you, and you don’t bother to mention that you already know who he is, having met at another club several months ago, “Oh!” She squeaks suddenly, “I’m sorry, I’m Aphmau Iren lead singer, and soon to be back up guitar.”  _

 

_ “It’s nice to meet you… Aphmau.”  _

 

_ “It’s lovely to meet you as well Aaron, let’s get this audition started! Kawaii-Chan! Bring over the notes!”  _


	2. Mississippi Isabel

“ _ Found out about her, her name’s Mississippi Isabel.”  _

 

They always started out with this song, as opposed to Phoenixes large boosting start, the Guards prided themselves on building up the crowd delicately, Travis standing in front of the band, microphone in his hands as Laurance played that one specific chord on his bass to match the low overtone.

 

“ _ She grows wild strawberries, she’s made of ivoir and pearls.”  _ He knew his voice had a soothing melody to it, that brought the room to a standstill, “ _ To look at the universe she’d abandoned the world, I go with her back to the darkness, I’d give my life for this girl.”  _

 

Blue hair flips in the light of the bar in a sleek ponytail, “ _ I rode around on my bicycle, all the way in the rain.”  _ He smiled at her, and she shoot him a small smile in return, a greeting almost, “ _ She kissed me once, I took her out for lunch, and she never kissed me again.”  _

 

He repeats the line again, and crowd has now started to clap in time with the music, “ _ Her beauty knows no tick of time, she’s the song of the nightingale, the torture, and the remedy.”  _ Travis sang a little louder this time, and in mere moments the crowd had transformed, his fangirls returning to yelling his name, but he was only looking at one person as she smiled rakishly at the person she was serving before denying that she even had to Jeffrey who’d just turned up for work. 

 

“ _ The tragedy in the passionate tale.”  _

 

“ _ And I begged for forgiveness, for the way that I am. _ ” He denied the sigh to escape from him mid lyric,  _ “And I hope she doesn’t blame men, for the inelegance of man.” _

* * *

 

 

From her perch on her favourite barstool Kawaii-Chan would always scan the room, a trait she’d picked up when she had managed the cafe for Aphmau a while ago, she knows the man leaning against the back of the bar is doing it too. 

 

“Kawaii-Chan is keeping watch Zane-Kun.” She states simply, without looking away from the room, “You don’t really need to be here, besides you always claim to have some piece of paperwork to do.” Now she does look up at him, a twinkle in her eyes that she knows makes him quirk his lips slightly, as it has always done so since high school. 

 

He looks at her, as if puzzled, “I can see that, I was just double checking you didn’t miss anything Kawaii-Chan.” Her name is always a little foreign on his tongue, at least to her. He had referred to her as ‘Miss Chan’ for a very long time during college, “There’s always something to miss-” 

 

“Gene was here.” 

 

“-what?” She smiled, sipping her cosmopolitan instead of giggling at him, “Kawaii-Chan.” Zane persisted, and she shrugged, pointing at the man’s quickly retreating form, “......I’m going to call Ivy and Lillian.” 

 

Humming she held her hand up, and Jeffrey delivered another cosmopolitan, “A good call Zane-Kun.” He walked off, disappearing behind the office door again, leaving the club to pulse as Guards started another song hard and fast, with a good beat that made her want to dance. 

 

“ _ So why do good girls like bad guys? ”  _ For the most part she wasn’t really interested in the song, “ _ I’ve had this question for a really long time!”  _ Her lips curled for a moment, recognising the song, and sipping her drink again. 

 

“We should do cocktails at my place soon!” Dramatically falling into the stool next to her, Lucinda smirked at her, “Martini Jeffrey if you please!” Her hat is crooked, suggesting that she’s just come back from dancing with the currently most good looking one out there, “Hello Kawaii-Chan, it’s been awhile.” 

 

Pink curls bounce as she nods once, her tail swaying out behind her as she twists the straw in her drink between her fingertips, “Indeed it has Lucinda-Chan, how’s the money in the potions trade?” She sips her drink easily, used to the taste, and the slight tang of the vodka that echoes in her taste buds. 

 

“Excellent, although the upbringing of sales in the cat potion side of things has me a little worried in all honesty.” The witch sips her own drink, and they look like the most elegant people in the room for a moment.

Pausing they look up as Katelyn appears in front of them with a bowl each of dried fruit, “Since you dislike nuts, and they wouldn’t work with those kinds of drinks anyway.” Her remark rings true, and they clink glasses together as the next song starts in the background. 

* * *

 

She prides herself on being able to pick someone out of a crowd, and regrets not paying better attention to who came in the bar last night. Reviewing the security tapes like she had offered to, upon looking at her boss’s ragged tired face with an elbow in the cut from Aphmau…. Katelyn cursed when she spotted her best friend’s recent ex boyfriend of about a month now. 

 

Picking up the glass of water next to her she sighed, downing it, and turning the monitors off leaving the back room a quiet husk from the last hour of looking at everything from six o’clock onwards, her back’s stiff and Katelyn wonders what the consequences would be if she lifted that bottle of Glen Mckenna from the very back of the top shelf would be…. 

 

…...Then remembered it was a seven hundred dollar bottle of whiskey, and decided against it deeply. 

 

“Ready to go?” Aphmau asks from her perch on her favourite barstool, Kawaii-Chan on one side, and Aaron on the other, the latter with his red tinted sunglasses pulled down his nose slightly, “Wait you brought your bike tonight didn’t you?” 

 

“Yep, first time since I got it out of the shop, also I left before you and Kawaii-Chan.” It’s a good point, being the only one out of the three of them who actually works at Ashes, “Besides, both of you were busy so I couldn’t have asked for a ride.” 

 

A sigh accompanies rolled eyes, “Well some of us run our own business Katelyn-Sama.” The more mellowed out tone of the third roommate of the Phoenixes homebase, betrayed just how tired the best bass player in town was, “Oh Irene, Kawaii-Chan still can’t believe how badly she messed up this morning!” She groans burying her head into her hands, ears twitching. 

 

Zane appears from the office, and silently slides a steaming mug in front of Kawaii-Chan, it’s her favourite mug, Katelyn notes, as their lead singer quirks an eyebrow towards the owner of their favourite place in the city, “I hate to do this, but it’s almost one am, I’d love to get home before then-” 

 

“Bah!” Dark hair flying, Aphmau bounces off the barstool as Katelyn leans against the grey end pillar of the bar, “You live upstairs you jerk!” It’s true, and Zane leans forward on his hands, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, tie loose, and mask pulled down, “I get to ride home in a cool car at the very least.” Spinning dangerously on her heels she faces Aaron who sips his coffee plainly, “Thanks by the way.” 

 

He nods at her once, his hood was pulled down revealing dark hair, “You’re welcome, it’s kinda the right thing to do.” Despite being around them for the last week, the one vibe she got from this guy was that he was a private person. Which she respected as one should, and Katelyn actually enjoyed his company unlike- 

 

“As I was saying the moment you finish your drinks I want you out.” 

 

-others, Zane shook his head reaching up to the stereo hidden in the top shelf hanging over the bar, switching it on, and the first bars of ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’ playing. He rolled his eyes, but left it on and they were bobbing their heads along a second later. 

 

“Gene was here.” She states, running fingers through the ends of her hair easily, before taking the hairband from her wrist and tying it up in a loose ponytail, “I caught him on the tapes during our first song….. Aphmau?” 

 

The aforementioned sipped her own glass of water, “I knew he’d be coming, that’s why I asked if we could change the first song.” She admitted, and understanding shown on most of their faces, “.....Zane suggested it.” 

 

Katelyn narrowed her eyes at the second youngest Ro’Meave who shrugs, as the chorus hits in the song, “I’m going home, see you guys tomorrow….” She mutters, turning towards the door in her blue doc marten’s boots, waving goodbye picking up her helmet along the way. 

  
She doesn’t look back, she knows her friends are as safe as they can be here. 


	3. I Often Fail To See

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise, the point of view tends to go a little all over the place with this chapter!

His alarm goes off at eleven in the morning on the dot, and he hesitates to pull himself out of bed for a moment before somewhere in the apartment his door is being knocked on, Zane bitterly pulled the covers off. The doorbell ringing just as his bare feet touched the cold hardwood flooring in his apartment, he jumped onto the grey woolen rug the moment he could.

 

Doorbell in it’s annoying tone of random ringing continued to be an annoyance, as he groans trying to remember why he even let anyone come up here, and why he didn’t lock the way to his place via the building’s front door, “I’m coming, so for the love of gods and Irene please stop!” He yells, annoyed, swooping his hair away from his face to rub his eyes he moves slowly across the wide open amount of space to the front door hidden in the small dipped alcove.

 

When he finally reaches the door, he’s more than annoyed, “Ok, what the hell do you want-” Pulling it open there she stands, smiling brightly in business appropriate attire, “Mum? What are you doing here?”

 

Zianna Ro’Meave takes a peek at what she can see from the door, her eyes are calculating almost Holmes like in the way she goes about it, “Hello Zuuzuu, sorry to bother you I know it’s a saturday, and that you being a busy business man now you probably don’t have time but… There’s something in which we need to discuss.”

 

Her arms fold themselves, and he takes a step aside to let her enter his trust-fund paid for warehouse studio apartment, “I do have a meeting in about an hour, but I’ll make some coffee-”

 

“When did you get pink throw pillows?” Cyan eyes are scanning the room again, running over the black sofa that’s plush to sit on or binge watch a favourite tv show on Netflix, three pink pillows lay across the sofa cushions making the room look just a tad more homely, “I like that you have your ponies out on display now…. Collector’s editions?”

 

“Worth about two hundred dollars currently, price will go up in a few years.” He replies to the questioning tone, and his Mother nods once, “And the throw pillows were a gift, apparently my apartment looked…. Cold.” Words replay in his head, a conversation that Kawaii-Chan and Aphmau had had with him when he first bought the place, mentioning their disdain in his choice of his personal interior design.  

 

Zianna’s smile brightens, “Those girls are such a good influence on you Zuuzuu.”

 

“I’m glad they are.” Zane leans against the wall, looking at the pictures creeping up the curved short wall divider that covers where the bed is located, early high school pictures, along with college, and then the grand opening of the maid cafe, “I’d probably still have that Personality crisis I did in high school if I hadn’t become friends with them when I did- Anyway, what is it?”

 

She sighs, “Your Father has decided he would like to see what his son created.”

 

“Oh.”

 

* * *

 

Life in a house that belonged to eighty percent of a band, was always guaranteed to be two things. The first was ‘Loud’ and the second was almost always ‘Crazy’ the house occupied on the end of the street by three women in their mid twenties fell into both.

 

Katelyn mutely making coffee at noon, as Aphmau and Kawaii-Chan moved to leave for work was how they spent most mornings, well….. After mornings, they really needed to stop staying up until one in the morning.

 

The funny thing was, it had kinda always been this way. Especially back in college when they’d performed at Balto’s pub about ten minutes away from campus, ‘The Lupin’ was always going to be a favourite.

 

Sighing she handed off the travel mugs to her house mates, who were juggling bags, paperwork folders, and keys. Aphmau didn’t drive a lot, but Kawaii-Chan had acquired a pink volkswagen beetle when they’d graduated so that was an easy fix, still. The purple vespa in the garage next to her bike needed to be used at some point.

 

Looking at the mess around her, she sighed the only one without a day job. She was looking though, to earn some extra cash to lean upon her paychecks from being a bartender, shame was that she couldn’t find a job that’d take her unless she showed up first thing in the morning, which was certainly not a good idea.

 

She sipped the strong coffee in her blue mug with the words ‘This world is a mixture of magic and coffee’ printed across it, as she stood in the middle of the kitchen in her pajamas, “So I wonder if this is a quiet moment to myself-” The doorbell went off, “-and I was wrong.”

 

“Hello Travis.” The comment rang true, as the door swung open with the aforementioned on the porch a bag from a local bakery in one hand, and familiar take out cups in the other, “You went to Luke’s?” She asked eyes narrowing.

 

He nodded, “I was woken up quite rudely by the ever so domestic fighting by Garroth and Laurance, I kinda want them together but….. It would probably be so much worse if they of all people were coupled up.” Katelyn moves out of the doorway, and he nods at her coming in and landing on the beaten up sofa that needed replacing before anyone else made out on it.

 

“Yeah, but Laurance has had a thing for someone else for awhile.” She comments without really meaning too, “I know because of one game of Never Have I Ever, and a bottle of truth tequila.”

 

Travis laughs wholeheartedly, “When was this? Why don’t I remember this?”

 

“Sophomore year of college, Vylad shows up and Laurance can’t seem to shake him.”

 

“Wasn’t that during his relapse of ‘Angst’ Prince that could rival Zane’s?”

 

“Ah, you have a good memory my fellow.” Pausing she drains her mug, reaching out for the paper coffee cup, “Now give me the coffee before anyone gets hurt, and tell me about audition times.”

 

This was a pastime for her and Travis, his day job being a waiter at a local diner, while also attempting to find acting gigs, and her ruling out the ones that had terribly directors and good ones bailing the play out, “So?” He asks handing her the stack of scripts he’d collected.

 

“I’m gonna read them all, make more coffee…. And the doughnuts Aphmau hides under the cabinets, bloody short people.” The last part is a mutter, but she hears his delighted laugh anyway. “..........Ok, first of all you have Wicked?”

 

He nods again, pushing himself off the sofa and walking into the kitchen, “I’m thinking about going for The Wizard.” She flicked her eyes at his retreating form.

 

The moment is oddly perfect, at least to Katelyn.

* * *

 

Hands plucked at strings, and he knew at least four of his students were not actually paying attention, so stuffing his hands in his pockets he sighed deeply. Maybe it would just be better if he gave up hope about teaching them anything altogether.

 

“Leona, Yip, Dimitri, and Leochant!” Heads snap up at his shout, “Pay attention, for the love of all the gods. You’re lucky it’s my class and not Gavin’s.” They nod, paying a hell of a lot more attention to what he’d been saying immediately, “Moving on, the jazz of the thirties had a complying tone especially to do with the rise in Harlem at the end of the 20s.”

 

Aaron liked teaching music, accepting the offer of the position after Mr.Rock the original music teacher had taken up the offer of a job in the UK, and the music that flows from the example that he’s playing to marxism his point is soft and yet swings up. He’s reminded how much he loves Ray Charles, and wonders briefly if he could ask to play this at Ashes next time he’s there.

 

They’re paying attention while a few students are trying to recreate the melody, music had always been his favourite subject in school, much to his parent’s dislike. It was the one thing he could be free through, and with the recent attention from his new bandmates he enjoys it even more.

 

Still when the bell rings out, and he assigns homework, they look at something in the corner of the room, and Aaron finds himself looking at the music practice rooms in between classes, or at the end of the day. Remembering how he had had some of the best conversations in that room, with a mysterious voice on the other side of the door.

 

The only friend he’d really had in school, which was incredibly sad on his part.

 

Flexing his fingers he tapped against his desk once twice, before all of the students had left the room and he could start packing things up for the day. Practice for a bit, then he’d head over to Ashes for a drink before going home.

 

His basic routine apart from days when they were performing, but they did have rehearsal later come to think of it… Which he was late too, “Shit…” Aaron lifts himself out of his chair before grabbing his car keys, bag, and putting his guitar away to take with him…

 

Ignoring that he was still in his quote on quote teacher clothes, he knew he had to get going quickly, “Katelyn’s going to have a field day with this… Dammit.” He was out the door of the classroom in a second.

 

As expected Katelyn lets out a low whistle when he walks through the door, electing Aphmau, Kawaii-Chan, and Zane to all look at him for a moment, to take in the faded Sex-Bob-Bomb t-shirt, and blazer he sported, a pair of warm amber eyes stare longer than the rest of them, and he feels himself blush almost immediately.

 

“Class run late?” Aphmau asked swirling the straw in her drink, her eyes staring deliberately anywhere but him, as if she’s suddenly nervous about something, “You said your last class of the day is last period right?”

 

He nods, sitting down letting his guitar knock against the bar- That comes with a ‘You did not just do that’ glare from both Zane and Katelyn -on the stool next to her, and tracing the lyrics to ‘London Falling’ that are scratched in the wood, “Yep, I had some papers to grade though.”

 

“We should get to practicing!” Kawaii-Chan speaks up loudly after a moment of silence, abandoning her seat on the bar to run to the stage, “Right? Unless Zane-Kun wants to spit out what’s got him all worked up.”

 

Her eyebrows raise, and they turn to face the only person left behind the bar, he sighs, straightens his tie….

 

“My Dad’s coming to Ashes.”

 

“Shit.”

 

“Fuck.”

 

“Merde.”

 

“Quite.”


	4. Would You Send Me A Postcard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BEHOLD 
> 
> Vylad Ro'Meave.

You’d be the unluckiest, and winner of a bet that has run since High School if you ever encountered anyone with bigger daddy issues, than those of the Ro’Meave Brothers. 

 

Still, if you ever did happen to meet the Ro’Meave Brothers in the middle of these issues…. You would be surprised at what had become of them in the long run. 

 

The oldest was currently modelling for the family company whenever he was short on money, and utterly confused about what he preferred in a romantic partner. (Meaning an unrequited crush, that hadn’t ever been lay to rest.)

 

The middle child owned, and ran a well-known, but still rather secret bar that took in good enough revenue from the patrons, and his flirting skills were lackluster in their ways, but still good enough that many a person would gather if he made an appearance. 

 

Now… The youngest Ro’Meave, was a little bit of a mystery… To those who weren’t at the very least good friends of his, he was a free spirit that attracted many a gaze if in a populated area. But he could still disappear into a crowd as easily as a pavement artist. 

 

Still it would appear that Laurance could seek him out anywhere. All it took was one quick glance, and they had each other in sight. It pissed Vylad off just a little when they’d first started to hang out, not that he’d mentioned it. 

 

…….Of course that was because no one knew of the yelling match that took place in Peru, when someway somehow Vylad kept running into him. 

 

Well no one who delivered cabbages anyway. Or owned a low budget motel.

 

Vylad Ro’Meave had never actually been within the bar that Zane was so proud of, sure he’d seen the instagram and tumblr posts with pictures, (Thank you Kawaii-Chan.) but standing in the space was completely different. 

 

He’d actually gasped when he stepped through the door, the crowd of people that night had been rather small, mostly keeping to the boothed tables that lined the two other walls, it took two seconds to recognise who was playing the piano softly off to one side, the slow voice he’d grown up hearing sing multitudes of my little pony songs. 

 

“ _ There’s a spotlight in the room, and it’s shining down on you… But you hide, because you can’t take a little spike of recognition.”  _ It wasn’t a song Vylad recognised, still he made his way to the bar, and got- 

 

“Long time no see Dodger.” 

 

-The last person he’d seen of this group in a long time. 

 

Of course his very first instinct was of run. Why wouldn’t it be? Almost his entire friend group from high school was sitting at the bar, trading back shots of what he could only assume was high end tequila, that would have cost Zane a fortune. 

 

“Hey.” He replied a little weakly, arms wrap around his shoulders in a crushing hug from behind, and the shortest twenty-six year old he knows is there, long hair swinging making his oldest brother stare over the lip of his martini. 

 

Aphmau is smiling when she let’s go of him, leaving a pair of eyes to look at him through the mirrored walls of the liquor shelves, “Well if it isn’t my Not Alone Buddy!” He’s a lot taller than her now, even in heels. 

 

“Sup.” Katelyn nodded from behind the bar, before she pulled out the ingredients for an old fashion, he remembered what he drank, “Zane’ll be done in a minute.” He nods as Aphmau guides him to the unoccupied barstool. 

 

He lands next to a guy he vaguely remembers, not that he can tell particularly well due to the rose tinted sunglasses, and faded band tee, “Hi.” Vylad says to the stranger, and the stranger nods at him. 

 

“Oh that’s right!” The voice sounds from in between them, hands in black fingerless gloves, manicured with lavender polish land on their shoulders, “You haven’t met Aaron have you?” He shakes his head, “Ok, Vylad. This is Aaron, our guitarist, and Aaron this is Vylad, one of my oldest friends.” 

 

Aaron grins at him, “Please tell me you’re normal. I need someone to talk to.” It’s spoken in a mock whisper, and Vylad decides he likes him, when the relaxed smile covers his face a tension he hadn’t noticed eased in Aphmau’s shoulders. 

 

“Oh, I’m very normal. I’ve had everything normal happen to me.” He doesn’t miss a beat, even if a few pairs of eyes roll, “So, what did I miss while I was gone? Has the sexual tension between Katelyn and Travis eased?” 

 

The aforementioned both go a startling shade of red. Katelyn almost drops the bottle of rye whiskey, a glare in her eyes when she regains her composure. 

 

“Sadly Vylad-Kun, that is still very much up in the air!” The pink hair still flutters around her shoulders, as she makes Travis move easily considering the man was stuttering, and still very much red, “It only got worse when she took her job here.” 

 

He nods at Kawaii-Chan’s small mischievous smile that has never changed, “Of course, being a bartender tends to make you more attractive, I should know I took a bartending gig while I was in Cuba.” 

 

Shoulders tense in the seat just beyond Kawaii-Chan, still Laurance speaks up, “Get lots of attention then?” He asks, a bog standard beer resides in his hands, the label is peeled off a little bit, “Because if that’s the case I’m definitely looking into getting myself a license.” 

 

“You should.” He agrees, turning to face him fully as his drink lands in front of him, along with another cosmopolitan for the person next to him, “Whatcha nervous about?” Vylad ventures, adding a little pep to his voice, making sky blue eyes turn to face him fully. 

 

Laurance studies him for a bit, “We were supposed to have a special guest earlier for our performance.” He sips the beer, “Didn’t show.” 

 

“Oh well that sucks, and my oldest brother is staring at me with a question to ask so out with it!” Garroth jumps, eyes widening almost comically, “I’m your sibling Garroth, what’s up?” 

 

Blonde hair clean cut as always has a hand run through it, “It’s nothing really, you’re just… Here? When I wrote you, I didn’t really think you’d come.” That was true, Vylad usually did ignore letters from his brothers, somehow Zane always found his location, and Garroth tagged along. 

 

Vylad considered this, “I guess I knew it was time to visit again, Champagne is a little boring this time of year-” Kawaii-Chan sits up straighter with an evil glare, “-ok not that boring.” He says to quell the glare, “So when I got your letter, I kinda just left, oh. Your Mum says hello by the way.” He nods at the mei’fwa, who in turn stops glaring and smiles sadly instead. 

 

He was vaguely aware of the clapping that sounded with the last note of the piano, and the apricot eyes that snapped to attention when his other brother approached, “Vylad.” Zane greets neutrally, not a hint of emotion on his face. 

 

“Zane.” He replies, just a neutrally. Zane’s taller than him when he sits down, so the hand that lands on his head is expected, what isn’t expected is the hard smack of that hand, “Ow, what was that for?” 

 

The visible eyebrow raises itself, his mask is missing as it gets in the way when he sings, “You missed Mum’s birthday.” He states as if it were obvious, and he was bored of repeating it, to be fair he probably had repeated it at least a few times, “She missed you.” 

 

“Just Mum?” He asked, a tilt to his tone, “I was in Dubai.” 

 

“Little brother, do you really think I would miss you when you spent our childhood making hellions out of all of us?” 

 

They smirk at each other, matching ones, and the rest of the group turn helplessly to Garroth, who shrugs in the normal way he does when all three Ro’Meave’s are in the same room.

 

“I like the place by the way, suits you.” His smirk drains into an actual smile, as Zane takes his mask from his jacket’s pocket, and covers up his freckles again, much to the rather obvious disappointment of one of them, “I was kinda interested to know what you did with that amount of money from Garte.” 

 

Icy eyes scan the surrounding space, “I’m proud of it.” 

 

“I can tell.” 

 

They smile at one another, before Zane ducks under the bar, “Katelyn-” 

 

“Already taking a break!” His brother shook his head, but grabbed the gin and tonic water all the same. 


	5. He Handles The Financials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Business meetings, teasing siblings, and a Corporate Queen. 
> 
> What could possibly go wrong?

He wakes up the next morning to his brother lying asleep on the sofa, with the very big possibility that a hangover was beginning to take place. Zane reaches down, and pulls the blanket up around Vylad’s shoulders again, before moving into the kitchenette, putting the coffee machine on. 

 

Nothing emerged from the blanket when the coffee had finished, so he left the pot there, and moved on back across the room to his wardrobe, opening the doors and walking in with ease, it was amazing what a trust fund could do. 

 

Leafing through the bespoke, and armani suits, he spotted it, the dress that had never really made it’s way back to it’s owner, rose in colour, with a tulle skirt covered in silk, he paused letting his fingers drift over the fabric carefully, it was one of his early designs…. She’d been delighted to wear it, then left it here when it was quite obviously hers. 

 

Shaking his head, Zane moved on to the suit that hung next to the dress, pulling it out, before setting his coffee down on the top of the shelf, and walking over to his shirts, picking the storm cloud grey one. 

 

Lying the chosen clothing over his shoulders, he sipped his coffee, and dug around a bit in his cufflinks draw, coming up with the Pinkie Pie set that he’d gotten for his last birthday, all that was left was the tie- 

 

“Go with the pink one.” Vylad sipped from his mug gratefully leaning against the doorway of the walk in wardrobe, “The one Kawaii-Chan got you last christmas, you haven’t worn it in a while, and she’ll like it.” 

 

Zane scoffs, “Why would I care what Miss Chan likes?” He picks up the aforementioned tie anyway, noticing his brother’s raised eyebrow, “What now?” 

 

“Nothing, I just remembered that a hangover with your denial is very painful.” 

 

He scowled. Vylad laughed.

 

Shaking his head, he started to get dressed pulling on the dress shirt easily, “What are you planning to do today? Because I have a full schedule.” 

 

“I was gonna go see Mum, she misses me.” 

 

“Ok, have fun.” 

* * *

  
  


Four blocks, and a park away, Kawaii-Chan was just waking up, pulling herself from the sheets that surround her, rose in colour and picking her way through the mess that was her room.

 

The massive white fluffy cat at the end of the bed barely acknowledged her as she opens her wardrobe, deciding what to wear for the day, “Ok. My choices today are tulle, or a-line, what do you think Snowball?” Snowball doesn’t move, opting to bury himself underneath the still warm bed covers, and she can’t really blame him, “Tulle it is.” 

 

Loud clashes of piles falling over sounded through the walls, and that was her first clue that Katelyn was awake in her own right, it was books that fell over in her room usually she’d just roll into a pile by accident most of the time.

 

Sighing Kawaii-Chan hung the dress for today on her wardrobe’s door, before wondering next door to the bathroom, and turning the shower on. Finding her shampoo still relatively untouched, she climbed in when it was warm enough. 

 

Climbing out an average of ten minutes later, she went back to her room, grabbing her hair dryer out of it’s draw of her vanity, she plugged it in and started to brush her hair as it blew through, with that she looked at her open diary to see what was on her agenda today. 

 

“Meetings with the investors, lunch with Zane to discuss the anniversary party, and then my mid-afternoon shift.” Kawaii-Chan looked at Snowball who was up and about now, the covers on her bed having gone a little chilly, and the cat seeked out her warmth, coiling around her legs while she was plopped down in the chair, “And of course, getting you some food.” 

 

She giggled, before getting up again, and changing quickly, “So, should Kawaii-Chan tease Zane-Kun today?” Her hum was answered by a purr, “Not much, just a little bit… It’s a little fun to watch him squirm.” Snowball wandered away again, as if he couldn’t believe her sometimes. 

 

“Kawaii-Chan!” Katelyn opened the door easily, dodging the cat that dove through the door almost the moment she did, “You’ve got post, a few letters from people… One from you-know-who, and your phone bill to deal with.” She lingered in the doorway as Kawaii-Chan zipped her dress up, and pulled on her matching shoes. 

 

“Do you want a ride to the community college Katelyn-Sama? Kawaii-Chan’s going that way anyway.” She offered, taking the post from her best friend, and reaching for her letter opener, “Kawaii-Chan suggested a small cafe near the campus for the meeting today.” 

 

Katelyn shakes her head, “Nah, I’ve got my bike. Besides, it’s my day off from Ashes~” Her sentence was accompanied by a happy little sigh, “I’m taking Nicole out for dinner, I thought it’d be a good idea since she’s in town for awhile.” 

 

“You’re just trying to keep her and Dante apart.”

 

“That wasn’t obvious?” 

 

“Katelyn-Sama…” 

 

She shook her head at her friend, pointing at the door, “Go get ready to go, and don’t wear that shirt… Take a shower too, you smell like.. Well like a Bartender.” An eyebrow raised, “Kawaii-Chan hasn’t had any coffee yet, so shush Katelyn-Sama.” 

 

Still there was laughter, “Ok, ok. So, Zane taking you anywhere nice for lunch?” It was lazily asked, and her roommate didn’t move, “He’s great at impressing his dates I hear.” 

 

“It’s not a date. It’s a business meeting.” 

 

“Sure it is.” Apricot eyes glared, blue eyes rolled.

* * *

 

 

Melissa Lycan liked her lifestyle, the heiress to a multi-million dollar company, lovely living conditions, and a family that….. Ok so the family part lacked. 

 

Still, the look on her Mother’s face when she’d decided to invest in a Maid-Cafe had been worth it, besides her younger sisters loved the place, and it’d been a simple meeting with one of the owners to see it finalised.    
  


Another meeting just like the first was happening today, Miss Chan was coming to this cafe with progress reports while they had coffee, and Melisa liked this woman a lot, shrouded in pink, adorable in nature…. And one of the best business woman ever. 

 

The cafe filled with patrons as she sipped her coffee, looking over the reports from last month, and pieces of paperwork for the Lycan Corporation, when the chair across from her moved out, and a black tail swayed lightly. 

 

“Good morning Miss Lycan.” She bowed her head in greeting, raising her hands so a waiter would wander over, “Caramel latte.” It was a simple order, and Melissa looked up. 

 

“The same to you Miss Chan, shall we not waste time?” Even as she was saying that, Miss Chan had brought out a folder, and a notebook, “Is this the report from this month?” She started flipping through it.

 

Her drink was delivered and placed on the table, “Yes, as you can probably see the increase in the cheesecakes section of the menu, which was surprising to say the least.” Her ears perked up as she spoke calmly, likely practiced for years. 

 

The investment in Hime hadn’t been a mistake at all, everything was approached with a certain seriousness, “That’s excellent, my company will be pleased to see the increase.” She recites like a record, “I’ve been meaning to ask though Miss Chan, about the warehouse across the street from the cafe, do you perhaps know who owns it?” 

 

For the first time in six months since Melissa had met her, Miss Chan paused completely, blinking slowly before sitting up a little straighter, “I do.” She answered quietly, “May I inquire as to why?” 

 

“Oh it’s nothing it’s just the Lycan Corporation believes it would the perfect place to refurbish into the new Valley Forge branch.” She waves her hand lightly, “So. Do you have a name I can contact?” 

 

Silence reigns into the large amount of background noise, Miss Chan sips her coffee carefully, as if weighing something over, before she smiles ever so politely, “Zane Ro’Meave, and I imagine he’ll tell you what he told me and Miss Aphmau last year, it’s not for sale.” 

 

“Shame.” Ro’Meave, the name rung a bell in her head, wondering around, “I bet I could get him to sell it.” 

 

“Good luck.” But it didn’t sound like she meant it. 

* * *

 

The door explodes at the other end of the room, “Zane-Kun!” Is called out into the space, drawing his attention up at his friend fuming in all manner of pink, looking pretty as can be in the resounding space. 

 

“What?” He drones from behind the bar, restocking the shelves easily, “I thought we were meeting up in…” He glanced at his watch, “Forty-five minutes, what’s up?” Her hair was pulled back from her face into a bun, her make up completely perfect for her complexion, she stared at him harder. 

 

“Melissa Lycan may give you a call inquiring about the warehouse.” He blinked, owlishly at her, before placing the bottle down slowly, both eyes on view due to his hair being in a small ponytail, “Kawaii-Chan just had coffee with her to look over the reports for this month, and she asked about it.” 

 

Her smile turned a little sheepish when it appeared, “Why would she call to inquire about it?” He watched her move her gaze to the floor, “....She wants to purchase it doesn’t she?” 

 

“She said it’d be the perfect location for the Valley Forge office of the Lycan Corporation….” Coughing, his friend’s posture returned to normal, “Honestly you wouldn’t sell this place for the world and a half-” 

 

“I would, if the price was right.” A new voice sounded from the door, blue eyes scanned the area, empty for the most part, “Zane, I’m so sorry I couldn’t do this sooner, nor called ahead.” 

 

Zane glanced at Kawaii-Chan who scanned his Father up and down, “It’s ok, I was about to head out for lunch, now.” He stood up straighter, looking Garte Ro’Meave in the eyes, “What was that about selling?” 

 

His Father smiles, a slow easy thing that sent shivers down spines, “From what Zianna, and Garroth have told me it’s doing rather well, you could probably change the place over a few times, and get more revenue out of it.” 

 

“Dad, as happy as I am that you're here, you should know that I have no intentions of selling Ashes.” He begins, and pink curls wave out behind Kawaii-Chan as she moves across the room to stand beside him, his Father laughs, pressing his hands together, then nodding at his assistant hovering next to him. 

 

“Zane, the place looks to be something wonderful…. Just not really in our company’s style of things.” His Father turns back the way he’d come, moving fast out the door, his footsteps echoing on the stairs. 

 

A hand rests on his shoulder, “Wanna order chinese food and watch Buffy?” Her voice is soft with the suggestion, and he nods quietly, “You wouldn’t sell Ashes would you?” 

 

“You know I wouldn’t.” 


	6. Out of Continuity: The So-Called Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dates were are not Aphmau and Zane’s forte, a burger and some ice cream was. 
> 
> Or alternatively 'That One Zanemau Almost Date That Happened Back in Their Junior Year of High School'

Her fingers tap against her knee in the passenger seat of the car, the radio playing James Blunt softly, and oh Irene, it’s so so so awkward, it’s unbearable. 

 

Zane reaches over and turns the radio up, which she doesn’t protest to as ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ comes on, and he starts to sing along, and she joins in at the chorus, the awkward air disappearing for a bit. 

 

“‘Cause I’m just a teenage dirtbag baby! I’m just a teenage dirtbag baby! Come listen to Iron Maiden baby with me! Oh~” The top’s down on the car, and she’s absolutely sure there’s dirty looks being thrown through the neighbourhood at them, “Her boyfriend’s a dick!  And he brings a gun to school, and he’d simply kick. My ass if he knew the truth!” 

 

Aphmau shoots a smile at Zane, and she knows he’s trading back as they pull into the parking lot of the fast food joint, “Something simple, and what Juniors do to help themselves in these bleak bleak times.” She spoke plainly, sliding out of the car with ease, “Besides, I want a burger.” 

 

“Ok, that’s fair.” He replies getting out himself, turning the radio off as he goes, “I could go for an ice cream, I’ll pay-” 

 

“Nope, I’m paying for myself Zuuzuu.” The dark look he gains makes her laugh brightly, almost forgetting completely that this was supposed to be a ‘Date’ not two people hanging out as friends, “Besides, I know you hate spending your monthly allowance on food, and other people.” 

 

Zane’s eye rolls, “True. Still thought it would be nice.” He replied, reaching to open the door for her, “Why are we doing this again?” 

 

“Because apparently our crushes on each other are so obvious it’s painful, and everyone hates watching us lowkey flirt while being oblivious.” 

 

“Kawaii-Chan’s words?” 

 

“You know it.” 

 

He nods, contemplating something, Aphmau looks down at her shoes, “Well… I guess this is…. Something?” 

 

“It sure is!” She laughs nervously, “Let’s- We should go get some food.” He nods, and they get in line to order. 

 

* * *

  
  


They’ve lapsed into silence again, eating their respective foods, but it’s the comforting kind, and Aphmau resists asking, until- 

 

“We don’t like each other romantically do we?” Zane asked, setting his spoon in the glass, “I mean we have crushes on each other but-” 

 

“We don’t feel the need to do anything about it.” She finished for him, shooting a smile his way before picking up a fry, “It’s also fairly obvious- To me at least -that you like someone else that way, considering everytime she’s in the room you’ve got heart eyes.” 

Zane’s eye narrows, “I do not.” He stakes it out, avoiding her gaze like it will kill him, “I honestly have no clue what you’re talking about Aph.” She rolls her eyes at him, taking a sip of her cola, “But I guess there’s also the fact of your massive, more obvious crush on one blue haired volleyball player.” 

 

She did a spit take, “What? How did you-” 

 

“Aphmau I’ve known you since we were three.” He puts it flatly, reaching across to try and steal one of her fries before she slaps his hand away, “Rude, no wonder you can’t hold down anyone.” 

 

Her glare increased tenfold, “It’s my food, you should have gotten your own fries if you wanted some.” He shrugs, and she knows he’s accepting her point as right, “Now, take me home after we finish here?” 

 

“Sounds good, and if anyone asks you kissed me, I broke out in hives.” 

 

“You really want to keep that rumour mill turning don’t you?” 

 

“Of course, it keeps other people from touching me.” 

 

She laughs, and launches into questions about what he thought of the new X-Men cartoons that were airing. 

 

And that’s how it ended. 

  
  



	7. But That Does Not Make Us Wise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lycan Sisters get a word in, Aaron hears a name he hasn't heard in awhile, and Zane is pulled over the bar.

The old Metallica song that rings out across his flat is what wakes him up first before he groans into his pillow, and wonders when one of them set ‘Justice For All’ as their ringtone, still he claws for the phone that’s sitting on his bedside table.

 

“What?” He asks annoyed, bitter, and sleep deprived, checking the alarm clock, “It’s eleven o’clock in the morning. On. A. Saturday.” There’s a clamoring of whisperings on the other end, “Elena. Lilith. What’s going on?”

 

Silence reigns a little bit longer before one of them decides to actually talk, “Mum wants you to come home for a while, don’t know why. Overheard her and Mel talking about it, something about a potential matchup.” Lilith’s tone is serious, “They don’t know we’re calling you, but Mel’s in town today for a business meeting apparently.”

 

Rubbing his nose, he sits up, “What’s her name this time?” Aaron is familiar with the routine by now, despite his apparent ‘Disownment’ his Mother still managed to try and set him up on dates with high society people in the most horrid of ways.

 

“You know her actually, dated her in high school.” A more gentle voice speaks now, and he wonders if he’s on speaker since both of them are talking, “One Lily St Clair.”

 

He does a double take, “Mum wants me to go back to Lily?” He asks, old memories cropping up in his head of a new ago, “The woman she so despised of?”

 

“That’s the one.” Lilith spits, “She used you, but apparently her Father’s in the running for Senate, and Mommy dearest thinks you should try going out again.”

 

Typical, “And since you don’t currently have a romantic partner, Mum thinks this is all hands on deck!” His youngest sister replies, “Unless you asked out that girl you are obviously crazy about-”

 

“Elena!” He hisses, and his sisters laugh in unison, “Look, I’ll see if I can get out of it by myself…. Probably with a show, if Mum attempts to do it.” Aaron sighs, running his hand through his hair, “Or maybe I could ask Zane to crack down on some things, either way, there is a way out, and I will find it.”

 

He’s about to say goodbye when Lilith speaks up again, “Or you could do the much easier thing.”

 

“And that is?” His eyebrows raise, noting the small laughter in his sibling’s tone.

 

“Start something with Aphmau Adler.”

 

“Arrivederci.”

 

“Well you screwed either way so-” He hangs up, and doesn’t regret it, throwing his phone towards the end of his bed, digging back into the covers to try and recover some of his lost sleep.

* * *

  


What Aaron walks in on when he steps through the door for Ashes is a yelling match between- Surprise surprise -Katelyn and Zane, and it’s escalating very quickly by the looks of it as she grabs him by the tie, and pulls him halfway over the bar.

 

“-If you so much as get a check for this place I will end your family line!” She is serious, and Kawaii-Chan is trying in vain to pull them apart, “Hi Aaron, grab a seat I’ll get you a beer in a moment, just let me chew my boss out for a bit.”

 

In normal workplaces, this kind of action would get Katelyn fired within seconds, but considering how long they’d known each other this was nothing new…. _Apparently._ He thanked whatever gods that he hadn’t attended high school with them.

 

“Um yeah sure… Is Aphmau here?” He asks looking at the situation slightly more warily now, “Also why do you have Zane half pulled over the bar? Not that that isn’t impressive but I’d like some context here….”

 

Katelyn looks away from Zane to him now, eyes burning a low kind of fury her hair was pulled up out of her face, “The lord and honor of Valley forge want's Zane to sell Ashes… To the Lycan corporation!” The sentence was accompanied with her turning the blazing blue back on the owner.

 

“My Father suggested it! You of all people know I have no intentions of the kind in the long run, but if he really tires he could get people to keep offering up prices, I just need that to stop!” Zane explained patiently, perfectly calm…

 

But Aaron was still on the last words of her sentence.

 

“What does this have to do with the Lycan Corporation?” Zane now looks at him too, a ‘Save me’ look in his eyes before pink hair swims within their visions.

 

“Kawaii-Chan had lunch with Melissa Lycan today… She’s one of the investors in Hime, has been since we opened... “ She pressed her hands together once Aaron freed the tie from Katelyn’s hands, and Zane slumped back on a bar stool, “She expressed interest in the warehouse above, and of course per the agreement, we all signed Kawaii-Chan had to feign that she and Aphmau-senpai already inquired about it!”

 

It was true, Ashes held a very Speakeasy vibe because it technically was. They had a liquor license of course, but the twenties theme had always been important to Zane.

 

So him being himself Aaron stood up a little straighter, ignored that his family’s business was now thrown into the pot, and simply spoke one sentence that had them all looking up, along with the sound of someone dropping their guitar behind him.

 

“How do we stop them?”

* * *

  


She wouldn’t stop shaking, no matter what they tried, Aphmau looked at them all with fear in her eyes, and a frown on her lips.

 

They had, of course, explained what was going on, and it was at that moment she looked at him, dead in the eyes, he’d pulled his hair away awhile ago.

 

His best friend since they were three, stopped shaking, and stalked up to him, it didn’t help that he was only a little taller than her. All she said like Aaron was one sentence, but this one sentence rung true and reminded him of their days in high school more than others.

 

“You better have a plan.”

 

Zane did. Not an entirely legal one granted. But a plan nonetheless.


	8. Is Someone In The Crowd-

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zianna appears. A Duet is Sung, and if it's not obvious by the end that I wrote this to the La La Land Soundtrack, then I wrote this chapter to the La La Land Soundtrack.

The very first time Zianna saw her middle child’s eyes light up with proper, unburdened excitement since before he could walk was when she took her sons to her Godfather’s club in Baltimore for the very first time, Garroth had been seven, Zane, and Vylad six.

 

Crowds gathered around on the dance floor to old music, singing the music of the rock age of the 80s, before a softer tone came on, the pianist taking up the stage, opening the grand piano ornate, black, and beautiful.

 

And she saw it then.

 

It was crazed, almost bouncing, pieces of excitement that burned in icy blue pools, Zane pressed himself against the railing reaching out towards it, his brother didn’t seem that interested, but he was in awe of the quick pacing of the music, going slowly then picking up again, the crowd moving in tandem with it all.

 

He was excitingly babbling all the way through dinner with her Godfather, tugging on her sleeve, asking questions, and she hasn’t remembered him talking that much since, her second most reserved child, eyes shining, and that’s when she knew, even if he didn’t remember, that _this_. This was the moment he set his heart on a dream.

 

Now she was watching her husband plan to take that dream away from him.

 

The blueprints for the building Ashes was located in decorated his home office, little sticky notes stuck to them, and Zianna knew in that instant, that if Garte wasn’t going to listen to reason sooner rather than later, she’d have to do something drastic.

 

She let her fingers trail over them, the delicate handwriting, the fact that her husband had probably gone through not quite so legal means to get all of this, along with the official statements from their lawyers.

 

_This was Zane’s home._

 

She heard the knocking, and turned, “Vylad….” Her lips breathed, looking at her youngest son, arms opening all by themselves, welcoming him in for a hug, feeling just a little rebellious to hug him in here.

 

“Hey Mum.” He spoke back, then he looked around at the room, “Garte’s really trying to sell Ashes then?” She nodded, “Crap. Zane loves that place more than us.” She couldn’t help the small but choked laughter.

 

“Well, I don’t know about that, but it’s certainly a possibility I suppose.” Zianna tries for a smile, but her dear darling son doesn’t have it, “......I don’t want him to take it away from him.”

 

Vylad simply hugs her, “I know Mum, I don’t either…. Zane’s probably coming up with a plan to stop him right now, probably not even wondering if it will cost him the chance to inherit the company because that’s who Zane is.”

 

“He didn’t even notice that Aphmau had had a crush on him for a bit, nor the ever-present storm that are his emotions about Kawaii-Chan Rose.” She replies, smiling at the memory, “Let’s get some tea, and you can tell me all about Monte Carlo, Jonathan said he’d seen you before you left for Peru.”

 

“That sounds great Mum-”

 

“And you can tell me all about Laurance Z’vhal, who I hear you followed around for a bit in Peru.”

 

“....Who told you?”

 

“A little bird.”

 

* * *

 

His fingers press against the piano softly, Ashes is empty, and he’d chucked them all out awhile ago, posting the ‘Not open this evening’ on the door, his mask lies thrown over the bench next to him, as he plays the soft notes.

 

Zane could remember the very first time he saw this piano, it was set in the corner of a club in Baltimore, being played by a family friend, the same tempo spills from his fingertips as he opens his lips.

 

“ _City of stars, are you shining just for me?”_ He sings softly, barely registering the sound of the door being pushed open, and he wonders who’s wandered back into the club at this hour, “ _City of stars, there’s so much that I can’t see.”_

 

The figure whoever it is puts something down on the bar, that he would assume is an anchovy pizza, and maybe a vegetable one as well, there’s two pizza boxes by the sound of it, along with a bottle.

 

“ _Who knows? I felt it from the first embrace I shared with you.”_ Pale fingers land on top of his, as she slips the seat next to him, her fingers matching his playing perfectly.

 

Her smile is small, “ _That now our dreams, they’ve finally come true.”_ She sings as soft as she dares, knowing she can’t reach high notes despite the many vocal lessons Katelyn’s given her, “ _City of stars, just one thing everybody wants.”_

 

“ _There in the bar.”_ Kawaii-Chan’s head lands on his shoulder softly, “ _And through the smokescreen of the crowded restaurants, it’s love.”_ Her voice grows almost impossible with the softness, as if wants she’s saying is so very precious to her, “ _Yes, all we’re looking for is love from someone else.”_

 

 _“A brush.”_ He sings in reply.

 

 _“A glance.”_ Kawaii-Chan’s fingers match his playing easily when he changes the tempo just a tiny bit.

 

“ _A touch.”_

 

“ _A dance.”_

 

Then they start singing together, and he turns to look at her properly, finding her already looking at him with stars in her eyes, so close that he can see the soft golden flecks in amongst the apricot.

 

“ _A look in somebody’s eyes to light up the skies, to open the world, and send it reeling!”_ Her head leaves his shoulder, and her tail brushes up from the floor, “ _A voice that says, I’ll be right here, and you’ll be alright.”_

 

Their smiles grow in unison as she shifts just a little closer, “ _I don’t care if I know, just where I will go ‘Cause all that I need is this crazy feeling. A rat-tat-tat on my heart.”_

 

 _“I think I want it to stay,”_ He sings by himself now, as she withdraws her hands from the piano, he misses her touch almost immediately, “ _City of stars, are they shining just for me? City of stars….”_

 

Kawaii-Chan’s hands find his collar as he plays the last notes, “ _You never shined so brightly~”_

 

Her kiss is familiar, and his mind recalls a limousine’s back seats midsummer in the vineyards, escaping a party thrown by his Father, her kisses on his lips, the zip of her dress as loose as the buttons on his shirt.

 

She pulls back before he has a chance to retaliate, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have done that without your permission.” She’s whispering quietly, removing her hands, an apologetic edge in her voice, “It just seemed like a nice moment for it.”

 

“I don’t mind, but ask next time.”

 

“What makes you think there’s a next time Zane-Kun?” Her tone takes on a teasing tilt, so does her head, “Kawaii-Chan might have just been testing an attraction.”

 

He can’t help the smile as he whispers the next sentence right in her ear, “Please KC, I remember the last time you decided to test your attraction, my limousine remembers too.” She goes bright pink at that.

“You be quiet!” She hisses, then giggles a moment later, “Why are we whispering?”

 

“I honestly don’t know, you’re the one who started it.” Kawaii-Chan pushes herself up, closing the piano delicately, knowing what the instrument meant to him, she offers out a hand, and Zane takes it, being pulled up with a shift of her pink hair, “You got pizza?”

 

She nods, “And a bottle of wine from Kawaii-Chan’s private collection, a vintage 1984.” He whistles and he sees the concern in her eyes flash and fade away, “You need a break from plotting, besides. You can’t plot properly without Kawaii-Chan now can you?”

  
“That I can not.”


	9. You Can Hear It In The Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning is the same in any place, Kawaii-Chan wakes up, Vylad and Katelyn have irish coffees, and Damian finally shows up.

She’s awake first, she always is when curled up with him in his bed, his covers soft, warm, inviting, and above all else…. A little too much like home for her, and Kawaii-Chan knows above all else that this is where she’s meant to be.

 

Not today of course, but someday, when they have their respective business out of harm’s way of the first five years because those years are the hardest.

 

But still. She wants this every morning more than anything else, her fingers trace the outline of Zane’s face, running over the small scar across the corner of his lip, and the one along his collarbone, she traces his freckles, and lets herself dream what it would be like to be with him, really be with him. In every sense of the romantic, and just like always.

 

Kawaii-Chan adores it, she adores _him_.

 

Not that he’d take that as true in the slightest, she understood him a little better than the others, because she’d stopped perceiving Zane as a good person like Aphmau held him to be still, he wasn’t even close to being an OK person, but he had never really been good in the slightest, though he did have his moments she supposed.

 

Her fingers swooped over the smallest freckle on his nose, and he stirred. The arm underneath her twisting around her waist pulling her closer to him until his nose was buried in her hair, and she was pressed flush against him, the shirt she’d borrowed to sleep him wrinkling under it.

 

“Must you insist on tracing my features first thing in the morning?” His voice is gravelly with sleep, he’s not fully awake just yet, and her heart skips a beat, she swears it. Instead of saying anything Kawaii-Chan just laughs into his chest, and he sighs. It’s small, a little disdainful, but there’s a little light of joy in there, “I’ll take that as a ‘Yes’ then.”

 

She pulls away from him to look him in the eyes, “But Zane-Kun you’re adorable when you’re sleeping!” She speaks with all the truth she can muster, with her small giggle still running through the sentence, he stared at her with cow eyes now and places a tiny kiss to her forehead.

 

They fall into silence again, him just staring at her, she’s smiling right back at him, and for the very briefest of moments….

 

It’s a perfect little bubble.

 

But every bubble has to burst.

 

The pin or finger that bursts this particular moment happens to be his alarm clock blaring at him from the bedside table, along with her phone going off at the same time, as he begins to ring off the hook.

 

“...I should take this.” She reaches for it, and he hands it to her without her having to ask, answering it, “Hello Aphmau-Senpai.”

 

“ _Hey Kawaii-Chan, thought I’d call and ask you to open up the cafe today because if the sleeping Ro’Meave on the couch is any indication, you are across the street.”_ Aphmau’s voice holds a little amusement, and she listens as she pulls the covers away from herself wandering towards Zane’s wardrobe, wondering if he still has the dress she’d like to wear today, “ _Other than that I called to say that you don’t have to expect me today, my Mum called, and well you know my Mother.”_

 

“Of course Aphmau-Senpai, take all the time you need. Kawaii-Chan’s helping Zane plan some things, so Kawaii-Chan would be happy to open the place up today.” She finds what she’s looking for, pulling the dress from the neat row of suits, and hanging it on the bar outside the bathroom door in the corner, “Kawaii-Chan will open in about half an hour.”

 

After the words of thanks were said through the phone, the dial tone kicked in, and she locked her phone, putting it down on the bedside table as she passed the bed again, slipping into the kitchen where she found the coffee pot brewing.

 

“Is that Italian roast?”

 

“Naturally.”

* * *

 

 

“Hey, Vylad.”

 

“Morning Katelyn.”

 

Katelyn freezes on the stairs, staring at him a little perplexed as to why he’s here exactly, before working it out a moment later, “So. When did you figure out Kawaii-Chan had gone over? I know Zane neglects to text people when things are closed for once.”

 

The youngest Ro’Meave looks up from the coffee cup he’s holding and shrugs, “I figured it out when I went to see Mum, knew that KC would be over there when everyone left with nice wine and pizza, it is kind of their ritual when something bad happens in their lives.”   
  
She nods in agreement, “It has been that way since the summer before you all joined me at College hasn’t it?” He nods this time, moving his blow up pillow so that she can flop down next to him, “What about you? I know we don’t talk as often as the rest of them do, but you are still my friend Vyladdy- Oh wait, only Laurance gets to call you that.”

 

“How does everyone know? We kept that so quiet!”

 

“Vylad?”

 

“What!??”

 

“It’s Laurance if you can’t tell when Laurance likes someone you really don’t know him.” He looks at her with the same look of disdain she often receives from Zane, “I’m serious, you two really need to stop dancing around it. Been this way since… Oh yeah _forever._ ”

 

They glare at each other from opposite ends of the couch, until he sips his coffee, and motions towards the remote, which Katelyn picks up and flicks to Netflix immediately, “I heard you went back to school? Something about theater classes?”

 

“I’m learning how to be a director, and also how to write scripts that actually work in a narrative tone.” She reaches up to run her left hand through her hair, smoothing it away from her face so it’s out the way, as she puts on White Collar, feeling they both need the heavy dose of attractive; con man that is Neal Caffrey.

 

They lapse into an easy silence, which apparently was what their friendship consisted of a lot of the time, which was ok by them, they were fully comfortable around each other.

 

“So….. Does Laurance talk about me?” He asks quietly, looking out the window across the street to the other house sitting there, “I mean-”

 

Katelyn pushes herself up, “Only when heavily intoxicated, and it’s mostly babbling about how soft your curls are. Drunk Laurance is a treat honestly.” Turning towards the kitchen she paused, “Want some more coffee?”

 

“Can I have Irish coffee?” Vylad asks, crossing his legs and handing her his mug, she laughs.

 

“I think we both can, Kawaii-Chan won’t mind if I take some from her stash in the basement.”

 

“Well. That settles it then.”

* * *

 

  


The cafe bustled with people today, and she welcomed every single one, having left Zane about two hours ago to make a few calls to people he knew, and opened the cafe with quick succession.

 

She adored the sound of porcelain dishware landing on tables, teapots appearing on trays, she loved her cafe wholeheartedly, looking up she caught the eye of Damian Cho, the daytime manager when she and Aphmau were both busy.

 

Damian appeared when she inclined her fingers, “How are we doing today?” She asked softly, her smile bubbling with pride as she welcomed more people in from the slowly drizzling weather, “Please tell me it’s good.”

 

“The rose tea seems to be selling like hot cakes today, as well as the actual hot cakes, we’re almost out and it’s not even lunchtime yet!” His excited tone was all she needed to know that it was the truth, and Kawaii-Chan stood up a little straighter, “I should go help the other servers now, as it seems we’re getting a little overwhelmed here.”

 

She waved him away easily, her friend disappeared into the crowd just as easily as she waved, and her smile grew tenfold when Zane walked in the door a moment later, “How goes the plotting?”

 

“It goes, Sebastian says he might know a lawyer up in New York that will help me, and not accept bribes from my Father to dwindle the process at all, legally the property is in my name, the best my Father could do right now is hire an actor to play me, and commit identity theft.” He had his hair down now, her beret pulling the left side of his locks back so he could see, “And considering my social media is more than empty, it doesn’t look like a massive stretch.”

 

Keeping up with him as never been a problem for her, “That’s good, but can Kawaii-Chan ask why you’re here?”

 

The blush rises so much that it’s actually visible over his mask, and her eyes grow a little wider when he does speak, “I believe I owe you lunch.” Is all he says, and her smile brightens up almost immediately.

 

“That you do. That you do, you can tell me about what you’ve got so far for your plan while we eat.” Kawaii-Chan checks the clock on the wall, it is almost noon, so she could take her lunch break now, “Damian!” She calls, and he freezes out on the floor, “Kawaii-Chan’s going out for lunch! You’re in charge.”

 

“Uh- Y-Yes Kawaii-Chan!”

 

Zane’s eye is in a slit when she turns back to him, and there’s a slight glare in the icy blue, so she laughs, picking his hand up and pulling him away from the front desk, “Kawaii-Chan just has to get her bag.”

 

“I’ll be outside, I hope you like where I’m taking you.”

 

It only really hits Kawaii-Chan on the way back, that he’d taken her on what could be called a date as if he knew something she didn’t.


	10. I Found Out Everybody Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garroth models, Kim arrives, Vylad is bamf, and the troublesome Get-Together-Please-This-Is-Torture Duo explain the plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK BABY! 
> 
> It's been two months, and I do apologise.

If there’s one thing you can be certain of when dealing with one of the three Ro’Meave brothers, it’s that there’s three brothers, that have almost always had conflicting personalities. 

 

“That’s right Garroth! Turn this way, can we get someone to loosen his collar a little bit? We’re going for bad boy, not corporate asshole!” 

 

Not to mention conflicting career paths. 

 

Garroth sits patiently with the beautiful blonde model with legs that went on for miles kicked up under her- Her name was Emma Agreste right? -looking into his cheek as he looked away towards just past the camera, where Kim was stood, scrolling through the tablet in her hands, checking the schedule again as she adjusted her glasses. 

 

The camera flashed three more times, before the photographer started to converse with her assistant, nodding along, “Ok, that’s enough for now. Take five!” She called, and the two wandered away. 

 

Emma pulled herself off Garroth’s lap so fast, moving to where the coffee was being held out by a smaller, black haired woman, that Garroth only knew as the designer, and he saw the resemblance between the two. 

 

“Mlle. Dupain-Cheng Agreste is the designer of these pieces, and Mlle Agreste’s Mother.” Soft spoken as always Kim appeared next to him, holding up a foam cup, the caramel latte swirling inside, as his friend and part-time assistant continued scrolling through the tablet, “You had that face when you’re curious about something.” 

 

When he tries to think of a time that Kim wasn’t by his side, the only answer he gets is the summer before Aphmau first moved away all those years ago, from that point onwards Kim had been next to him, through the last few years of Middle School, onto high school and beyond. 

 

Truly his best friend. 

 

“I see, that’s nice that they can do this sort of thing as a family.” Kim smiles, pushing a stray piece of hair from her face, “Wait… Agreste? As in Gabriel Agreste as in-” 

 

“Adrien Agreste, and Gabriel fashion? Yes.” She turned to look at him, and froze, “Garroth, do not freak out right now, we have to be professional- GARROTH!” Her voice turns into a hiss as she reaches up, and grabs him by the collar, “Professional.” 

 

Someone comes to touch his makeup up a bit, along with his hair a moment later, the photographer appearing with a different camera in hand, ordering for the lighting to be changed out quickly. 

 

He sips the coffee carefully, waiting until the yell comes for them to take their positions, 

That comes a few minutes later, when Vylad wanders in with sunglasses on, and a smile placed on his lips. 

 

Garroth hands Kim his coffee before retaking the position on the lounge chair, Emma Agreste smiling sheepishly before swinging herself in the delicate white dress over his lap, and the blonde watches his brother greet his friend with a deep set smile, and begins to wait next to her. 

 

They stand there completely quiet, watching as the two models are adjusted in a lot of ways for the next hour or so, until finally. 

 

“Ok! That’s a wrap go get changed, and have some coffee.” His sigh of relief is audible, as he feels the other model pick herself up again, starting towards where her Mother is. 

 

“Um, Emma?” She pauses, turning to him with large blue eyes that are flecked with green, “Nice work today.” 

 

“Thank you Monsieur Ro’Meave.” Her voice is heavily laden with french notes, making her small incline of head towards him seem natural as she turns away again. 

 

Kim and Vylad are talking to one another when he reaches them a few minutes later, back in a pair of jeans, and a plain white form fitting t-shirt, “Hey bro.” He greets, getting a hug from his youngest brother a moment later, “What are you doing here?” 

 

“Mum mentioned there’s was a shoot happening, so I thought I’d come watch for a bit, I have nothing better to do, everyone else is working after all.” He smiles, and it makes his face about ten years younger, Vylad pulls away from the hug, “I have a week until I’m due in Monticello, so what’s been going on with you?” 

 

They wander out the door then, as Garroth tells him about the almost record deal they got until Travis did some digging, and found out the company was a fraud, “That’s why we were so upset the other night when you arrived, we were so close to making it out there.” 

 

“I see, that’s a shame. You guys deserve to go on tour, or at least record an album.” Kim trails behind them slightly, and they notice at the same time, slinging arms out and pulling her forward so she’s in between them again, her small smile is sheepish, “Katelyn says that Phoenixes aren’t really sure they want to sign a record deal, they’re fine performing at Ashes, and the Lupin.” 

 

The older of the brothers nodded, “I can understand that, has Zane worked out what he’s going to do yet? Katelyn told Travis, and Travis told us.” He watches Vylad shake his head, they turn the corner towards the lifts of the Ro’Meave building, slipping in when the doors open, and pressing the lobby button, “Damn.” 

 

“Well I haven’t actually talked to him today, so I don’t know.” He explained in the patient tone he’s had since they were children, “I do know that Kawaii-Chan’s helping him come up with something, though.” 

 

“......That can never be good can it?” Kim questions from her place beside them, “I mean Miss Chan is always very upbeat, but she seems a little evil from time to time….. Wouldn’t you say?” 

 

The brothers exchange a look, “And there we have the perfect description of Kawaii-Chan.” Garroth giggles quietly, “But not normally, they were responsible for the break up between Ivy and Me.” 

 

“Thank goodness for that.” Vylad drawls out, before snickering, “Sorry Bro, you and her just weren’t a very good match.” 

 

Garroth shrugs as the ding sounds, and they walk out into building’s lobby, walking past people in suits, holding briefcases, “I hope he works something out soon.” 

 

And little did Garroth know, but his brother had. 

* * *

  
  


“I’m opening a restaurant on the first floor.” He stated plainly, watching the room as everyone turned to stare at him because of the words he’d let slip through his lips, coughing Zane sat up straighter, “Seems like the most logical option available.” 

 

Aphmau raises her hand slowly, “How did you reach that conclusion?” 

 

“Well the lovely Miss Chan, pointed out while we were discussing events that my Father is sure to take the quickest, and fastest approach to this problem he’s creating.” He pressed his hands on the bar in front of them, letting his lips curl, “So if my Father’s going to follow the less than legal route, all I have to do is-” 

 

“-Keep it perfectly legal, than following one of Mr.Ro’Meave’s attempts to gain the deed to the land and building, all it takes is one phone call to the police.” Kawaii-Chan finishes next to him, and they smile in unison making the whole room grow a little colder, “Ashes has a valid liquor license, that we’re getting backed up next week by a few lawyers from New York, the firm is called ‘Nelson and Murdock’.” 

 

Zane leant back into the counter behind him, removing his hands off the bar, “Aphmau I was hoping you could take a look at the contracts from when I bought the place, if you remember anything from your brief stint in Law School.” 

 

No one has ever seen her go so pale, and he bites back a laugh, “I’ll sure try!” She responded before picking up the wine in front of her and drinking it in one go, “Provided you keep the wine coming.” 

 

“Of course, what am I? An animal? I know how you detested Law School.” 

 

“Yet you’re making me do this anyway aren’t you? You are a horrible friend.” 

 

“I’m still your best friend.” 

 

She grumbles, and a shared laugh goes around, “The reason Zane-Kun is having you look at it Aphmau-Senpai, is that we need everyone we can have on this! Travis-Kun is looking through some of his Father’s contacts as well.” 

 

Laurance picks up his own drink, “Cadenza’s also got contacts that she’s speaking to, true most of them are in fashion. But we need all the help we can get right? I may not like you Zane- No offense.” He said quickly.

 

“Absolutely none taken, I don’t like you either.” They glared at each other for a moment, ignoring the door opening behind them, or the sound of chatting that came steadily closer, “Continue?” 

 

“Right. I like the place you’ve created, it feels like a safe environment, not to mention you have more famous names than you know coming in and out the doors these days.” Zane didn’t ponder who they were for longer than two seconds, “And it would be a damn shame to see this place sold to the corporate evil- Vylad!” 

 

Everyone turned as the other two Ro’Meave brothers appeared, Vylad slipping behind the bar easily, Katelyn smiling a little bit as she starts making another old fashioned for him, and Laurance had gone quiet. 

 

“Hi everyone….” Zane finally flicked his eye over to where Kim- He wasn’t sure what her last name, he knew it was something beginning with ‘G’ -stood, her bag slung over her shoulder, as she slipped into the bar stool next to the one Garroth had occupied a moment later, “How goes the plotting?” 

 

Kawaii-Chan seized her hands, “We were just telling everyone our fabulous plan-” 

 

“Ok two people need to get out from behind the bar, I suggest Zane, and KC.” Katelyn states as she lifts up the divider, and indicates for them to move, which they did without much protest, “Vylad gets to stay, cus out of everyone I trust him the most.” 

 

Hands were lifted to chests in mock hurt, mainly Aphmau who played it up a bit, tears forming, Zane, Kawaii-Chan, and Aaron muttered a “That’s fair.” Before Zane launched into more explanation. 

 

“So if I’m right the best possible route to take right now is the legal one, and right now Ashes is only legally registered, so if I open a Restaurant up above here, than I have an actual business in public view.” He smiled big, wide, and above of else. 

 

Wickedly. 

 

“.......Dad should be really afraid of you.” Garroth stated plainly, “Not because you’re his son-” 

 

“But because you’re the most like Mum.” Vylad finished, and he smirked himself, “Is it wrong that I want to see the man who raised us to wither and burn in shame?” 

 

Aphmau shook her head, “Nope, frankly most of the time he was a mean old man. I mean unless there were cameras or if it was a public place.” She inputted, and looked at her childhood friends each in turn, “But I’m at your disposal, you guys are my oldest friends.” 

 

“Thanks Aph.” 

 

She smiled then faltered, “Hey what about Aaron?” The aforementioned froze over his beer, and looked up from the bar, “What are you going to do?” 

 

They watched as he pulled his glasses off, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. 

 

“I’m going to talk to my sister.” His tone was bitter, and Zane knew why, that didn’t stop the confusion leak into the other’s minds, perceptions, as the theories of Aaron’s sister appeared at the forefront of their minds, Melissa Lycan was formidable in everything she did. 

 

“You have a sister?” Her voice was soft, and everyone was leaning forward to listen to his answer. 

 

Aaron sighed, “I have three, but my oldest sister is well connected in the business community, and don’t ask who she is because you won’t get an answer.” And just like that they’d learned something new about him. 

 

“Ok, you um you do that.” Kawaii-Chan chimed in, her eyes had slipped into a slitted look that meant she was calculating things, “Kawaii-Chan’s going to help Zane open the first floor up, organise things, but Kawaii-Chan is going to need-” 

 

“Kim could do it!” Garroth spoke without thinking again as one hand wraps around his face, and Kim looks terrified, “Or she could not, whatever she wants I have no say in the matter whatsoever!” 

 

Eye rolls are traded, and Kawaii-Chan smiles. 

 

“Now. Who wants to hear the evil bits.” 

 

The fact that one sentence from this woman could turn her entire friend group pale, was one of the many reasons Zane liked her. 


	11. You're Dying To Cry Your Heart Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sisters, Daddy Issues, and the Wolf Pups destroying tables.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note. I wrote this chapter before Starlight came out, or we even got much of Melissa's character so yeah.
> 
> Also Travis's dad's name in this is not Terrence, because I like what I came up with. 
> 
> (And this story is equally based on both MCD and Mystreet.)

“I need to talk to you.”

 

_“Oh? My dear younger brother needs to talk to me? Does this happen to have anything to do with Mother’s crazed ideas that you’ll see Miss St Clair again?”_

 

“No.”

 

_“Then colour me interested, you rarely talk to anyone besides Lilith and Alena these days.”_

 

“I’m busy believe it or not.”

 

_“You are? Have you got a significant other yet? Or is that just wishful thinking?”_

 

“Melissa.” He growled, and his sister laughed.

 

_“You’re lucky I decided to stay in town a little longer than normal because of a property deal.”_

 

“......That’s actually what I need to talk to you about, or more accurately… Show you.”

 

“ _......”_ Silence on the other end, and Aaron let a small sliver of panic ease it’s way down his spine. “ _Do you know where the maid cafe Hime is?”_

 

“Yes. Why do you?”

 

“ _I’m one of the investors of course.”_

 

Well that was news.

* * *

  


The daddy issues joke wasn’t started by any of the Ro’Meave brothers, no it was started in a junior year of college after a twenty-one-year-old had the biggest fight ever with his father.

 

Creating a huge divide, and that was already there following the car crash.

 

Travis places his fingers on the small bump under his shirt, and took a deep breath letting it out slowly now, the opal rolls beneath his fingertips, and he takes another step away from the campervan behind him.

“ _It’s going to be ok honey! Just sit there, and relax, take my necklace Travis, it will protect you!”_

 

Her words were still clear in his mind, and he took another step forward, almost across the street, but it was becoming a little hard to breath, and-

 

Soft fingers slid down his arm and interlocked with his own, “Are you ok?” Katelyn’s voice was quiet, right near his ear, and an ease placed itself on his shoulders, “You don’t have to do this you know, no one will blame you if-”

 

“I just.. I haven’t seen him since then ok?”

 

“It’s ok I understand, I’m pretty sure the only people in our group that didn’t have at least one shitty parent were Laurance and Kim.” That drew a laugh from him, and she laughed too, “Come on, you said you needed to do this earlier. So let’s do this.”

 

He hesitated, and her grip on his hand grew in pressure for a reassuring squeeze, “Ok then, if you don’t want to do this you don’t have to do this-”

 

“Travis?” A voice called out from the front porch, and his breathing flat out stopped, “What are you doing here?” There wasn’t a snarl, no if anything it was just the tone of disappointment, “Nevermind, I thought you said I’d never see you again, unless you were dancing on my grave.”

 

Damon Warrick Valkrum doesn’t look like his son, all of his looks came from his Mother’s side of the family, it’s a small reminder of what the man has done throughout the years, so Travis has never cut his hair.

 

Not since that fight.

 

“I’m here because I- I need to ask you a question.” His voice wavered, but Katelyn’s grip tighten in turn, and he regained the confidence, “It’s about maybe asking a few of your business associates questions.”

 

He watches, his breath coming out a little uneven but when faced with someone you avoid like the plague, it’s kinda what happens.

 

“I see. Come in I’ll have Imelda make some tea.” He really is nothing like his Father, true his hair grew out into the natural frosted blonde that his Mother had sported forever, “It’s nice to see you again Miss…. I still don’t know your last name.”

 

“Let’s keep it that way.” She snarled next to him, it was a Katelyn snark though. Cool, patient, eyes slitted into hatred, he’d been at the end of one of those before. Though mainly it was Zane at the receiving end.

 

Dark eyes rolled like a teenager, but he didn’t send them away outright. Just welcoming them inside without much of a second thought by the looks of it.

* * *

 

The Lupin is a shining beacon to all werewolves of Valley Forge, and sometimes lone ones that would pass through the town from time to time, tonight it was also the site of Melissa’s most recent disgust.

 

She wrinkled her nose as tables were broken around her, wondering why her brother had set this place up for meeting, her sunglasses remained on even when it was this dark inside. Not wanting to make eye contact with any of these….. People.

 

“Here’s one glass of wine, the finest in the cellar.” The waitress- A werewolf as well -was over energetic, and her smile was bright…. She was fairly cute as well, her name tag said ‘Dottie’ and it matched the bright white dots that flitted through blue, “Balto said to bring you something top shelf, Aaron will be by in a bit.”

 

With a swish of her tail, Dottie was gone. Leaving Melissa alone in the corner again, not that she’d mind having her for company, “He better be.” She muttered, picking the wine up and sipping it delicately legs crossing under the table.

 

“Raven! Rhylin!!” A balk sounded from the bar, “You stop fighting right this second befor-” A window was smashed open, “-Oh for the love of…BLAZE!!” Brown hair, and crimson eyes, obviously in charge, she’d guess that was Balto the Valley Forge Alpha, a guy with bright red- Blood Orange hair rushed forward out of nowhere, grabbing the other two werewolves by the scruff of the neck, “Thank you.”

 

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs on the other side of the glass door to her right drew her attention, and there he was.

 

“Aaron-” He looked at her before two other werewolves flew towards him, and took up his attention. Her brother looks at her with a quick glance filled with apology, and it hits her with a start that she knows less about him than anyone else in the room, “Admirers of yours?” She questions.

 

His eyebrows raise, a smile starting to ghost over his lips, “Nah, I just have some pack duties to do later.” Her own eyebrows raise mirroring him eerily.

 

“Pack duties? Good lord, you aren’t becoming one of them are you?”

 

“I’m the Beta Melissa.” Aaron states plainly, “And while you may have chosen to have Dad take it away, you as much of a wolf as me.”

 

They stare at each other for a while, a high-end beer landing in front of her brother by Dottie.

 

“Anyway, what is it? You call me….. Here of all places?” Her nose wrinkles and she wonders how long it would take to get her brother to try and throttle her in this room, “It’s a dingy little bar, in a small annoying town, where you happen to teach at the local high school?” She scoffs at him, “This better not be for some absurd reason-”

 

“Drop the property deal.”

 

“-and it is.” Melissa scowls at her little brother, “Why would I do that? Of all things, why ask for that?” Wine forgotten she starts to gather her things, “I knew I should never have even come here, do you know how big that property deal is?”

 

“I have an idea-”

 

“No, you don’t.” She hisses, “Since you were disowned Dad placed responsibility for the company on my shoulders, yes it is what I wanted from the beginning, but I… They want me to close a deal soon, or I’m going to be kicked out of the company entirely.”

 

There’s surprise written on his face she can tell, “I still want you to drop it….”

 

She composes herself slowly, carefully, sitting back down she lets one last breath out before looking up at him, her eyes having tinges of red in them, “Come to the family dinner this friday…. And I’ll consider it.”

 

“I can do that.”

 

“Aaron?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Bring a date, you know the moment I mention that you're coming to Mum Miss St’Clair will be attending.”

 

“Good point.”


	12. The Reckless and The Brave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travis's dad is a little shit, Katelyn's a BOSS, and Vylad does Kawaii-Chan's usual job.

Katelyn had never actually seen the inside of the Valkrum house, and yet… It wasn’t what she’d been expecting, at. All. 

 

The soft pastel colours that covered the room reeked of a woman she’d only met a few times during high school, a woman with the same hair and eyes that Travis possessed, right down to the skin colour. Looking around the room a picture hung above the mantel, in it was a much younger Travis- No older than eight if she had to take a guess -his mother, wearing a small patient smile on her lips, and Damon looking as stern as always. 

 

She’d always hated silence, but now in this room, it seemed to be her friend because the longer it was silent, the less likely Travis and Damon were to fighting about something. It was peaceful, but nerve wracking at the same time. 

 

And if she was feeling like this…. What was Travis feeling? 

 

“Dad, I need a few names of your business contacts.” Damon Warrick Valkrum raised a dark eyebrow in reply, “A friend of mine- Well friend’s brother -is losing his club to his Father’s dealings, illegal ones.” Isabel Valkrum had been a lawyer, that’s how they’d met if she could remember correctly, “None of the um ones that have shady dealings with people please.” 

 

The maid sets a tray on the table, and Katelyn momentarily loses herself to the thoughts of how rich Travis was actually going to be some day, regaining herself she does so in time to hear the man in front of her chuckle darkly making her glare come back in full force. 

 

“Imelda please fetch my contacts, thank you for the tea.” The red haired woman nodded her head before walking back towards the lounge’s doorway, “May I ask why this is so important to you?” He asks slowly beginning to pour the tea, “You dropped more hobbies than anyone could count if I remember correctly.” 

 

Travis keeps his tone neutral next to her as he replies, “There’s a lot of people’s jobs on the line if the club is closed down or passed to other hands, not to mention it’s in the same building you sold a few years ago.” That catches the older man’s attention, “We’re attached to the place.” 

 

Damon sits up straight again, just as Imelda returns with a small booklet in hand, “Thank you, you’re dismissed.” She scampers away like a frightened mouse, Katelyn thinks to herself, “I see, well. It would be unfortunate for Garte to have his hands on that particular building. His son seemed so very excited when he was buying it.” 

 

“I’m sorry, but what exactly is your business again?” She can’t help but ask, thinking back and trying to work out what exactly they did. Having never heard the answer to the question herself. 

 

For the first time she witnesses the one thing the two had in common, a quick glance to the other before the answer came far too fast, “Realty.” 

 

Pages flipped as Damon went through the contacts, “A contractor, a lawyer, and a werewolf who’s up high in some circles, I’ve worked with him before.” His smile sent a shiver down her spine as the bright magenta eyes landed on her, “I’m really glad you’re by my son’s side Ma’am.” 

 

Her glare could kill him if she wanted it to. 

 

And she did.

* * *

  
  


“Ok, A. Why is Aaron groaning into the bar, and B. Why is Aphmau nursing the largest glass of wine this place can serve?” Vylad asked slowly appearing from the door, Jeffery moving down the bar away from them, being the smartest person in the room by doing so. 

 

Kawaii-Chan was still speaking into the phone next to her friends, before picking up a piece of paper and quickly writing down the answers, before going back to trying to get a contractor to agree to start doing the first floor properly. 

 

“Ah. So, Aaron, you are suffering from agreeing to bring a date to family dinner, and Aphmau’s suffering because she went through her old law textbooks.” He tapped his fingers on the bar in front of the two of them, “Ok, well I have a solution for one problem.” 

 

Aaron looked up, putting his sunglasses back in place from their skewed position, “Solution for which problem-” 

 

“Take Aphmau as your date.” 

 

All that got was the aforementioned knocked out of self-pity, and looking hard at the youngest Ro’Meave, “Vylad.” She stated plainly, to which he scoffed, “That’s not a good idea.” His eyebrows rose of their own accord, and he looked between the two of them. 

 

“Oh! My! Irene! When did you two sleep together?” Never probably, but the hot red blush that broke out on their faces made him slowly laugh internally, because these were the faces of people who’d definitely thought about it. 

 

Aphmau stood up and reached over the bar with her hands, possibly to strangle him to death for airing that sentence, “Never Vylad. Never.” 

 

“So-” He coughs when her hands enclose around his throat, “So what’s the- A-Aaron save me -problem!” Larger hands enclose around her wrists and pull her hands away slowly, but Aaron’s glaring at him the entire time, “And now I know what Zane feels like, and Katelyn when she refuses to serve people she’s cut off.” 

 

“He has a point.” The guitarist admitted quietly, “Frankly you are probably the best option, if I asked Kawaii-Chan I have the weirdest feeling I’d be poisoned the moment I suggested it.” He went pale before pulling the fitted faded Queen shirt down a little further, “I’ll owe you a favour?” 

 

She seemed to sit there thinking it over for awhile, sipping her wine down a little bit quicker “I’ll do it…. You’re lucky I hate saying no to my friends.” 

 

Vylad looked between them a feeling rising up in his stomach like he’d just made a horrible mistake…. 

 

_ Or… A mistake that had to be made? _

 


	13. Wide Eyed and Hopeless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aphmau talks to friends, Finds out about Werewolves, flirts with Aaron and cons a burger. 
> 
> (This is like one of my favourite chapters btw.)

Kawaii-Chan watched as her roommate and business partner paced in the middle of the dressing room at Ashes, as Zane looked up from the mirror where he’d been applying the pink eyeshadow to her face.

 

“You have a date with Aaron?” He repeated, the mei’fwa crossing her arms at the same time the brush landed on the vanity, “How on earth did you end up with that?”

 

Aphmau didn’t pause in pacing, “Your brother, divine intervention, the fact that he’s attractive and exactly my type?” She huffed and turned around again.

 

“Werewolf?” They replied in unison, and she stopped.

 

“No! Why is that actually true- NO! Tall, dark haired, a little bit of mystery, romantic eyes, and also the fact that he likes all of my favourite bands??” Finally, she paused, and they watched as she went redder and redder, “Oh for fuck’s sake stop looking at me like I’m the biggest liar in the multiverse!”

 

Lifting a newly manicured hand, the mei’fwa waved dismissively, “You forget Aphmau-Senpai that we’ve heard this speech before right?”

 

“When?”

 

“Oh…. Katelyn sophomore year of College about Ivy.” She tilted her head as Zane picked out a lipstick, “And we all know how that ended.”

 

Aphmau turned to the Ro’Meave who looked as if he’d rather be anywhere but here.

 

“I have nothing to add for once, except…. You most definitely want to jump his bones after the Phoenix’s set.” Throwing her hands in the air she turned to the front door of Zane’s flat, “You can leave my home, but you aren’t denying anything!” He called after her, and received a very vulgar gesture, “Love you too Aph.”

 

Kawaii-Chan crossed her legs and turned back to look in the vanity, “She’s not going to talk to you for awhile you know?” He nodded, “She’ll probably spend some time at the Lupin too.”

 

“She can drink wherever she wants, and see her other best friend I’m fine here.”

 

“Really?”

 

“No. Of course not, I’m withering in rejection.” His tone was filled with sarcasm, “I am always going to be here for her, but nothing could possibly be as important as her figuring out her feelings.”

 

She peered at him as he pulled out the clean lipstick brush, “You know you really are annoying sometimes.”

 

“Well I do like to gossip.”

* * *

 

If there was one thing that could be said about Aphmau Adler was that she bore a striking resemblance to her Grandmother Irene, whose picture was up on one of the pillars in Ashes, she could remember the first time Zane had connected the dots and stared at her in shock for the next six hours in the middle of a high school hallway.

 

She sat at the bar before knocking on it looking at Jeffrey before banging her hand against the hardwood getting his attention “I’m going to the Lupin for a bit if they end up looking for me.” Getting a nod in confirmation she left the bar, taking the steps two at a time before sliding her jacket on, taking her sunglasses from her jean’s pocket and sliding them onto her face to walk out into the sunlight.

 

The first thing she saw was the red converses, ok the first thing she actually saw was the bright red old styled mustang in the middle of the parking lot across the street, the top pulled down with the aforementioned shoes kicked up against the side.

 

Cautiously she made her way over to peer at Aaron Lycan as he read with red tinted sunglasses perched on his nose, music poured from the more modern stereo and his phone was stuck in the cupholder.

 

“ _Can we kiss like we do in my head? Can we dance like we do in my bed-”_

 

“Neon Trees? Nice, and it’s one of my favourite songs.” She could see him jump as she perched herself on elbows on the same side as he was resting his head, slumped over the two front seats, “ _Love is a loss that we incur when we gamble with the world I don’t wanna lose you, I feel my life has just begun!”_ Aphmau sang along, studying the man in front of her.

 

Stoically silent.

 

“Are you a werewolf? We were wondering.”

 

A beat, before.

 

“I am.”

 

She blinked, “Well then, that definitely explains a lot.” The next movements are a blur in her eyes, as Aaron grabs her by the collar to flip her into the back seat, before sitting himself up and starting the engine, “What the heck Aaron-” But the top was already coming up as he pushed the accelerator.

 

Luckily the parking lot was mostly empty, as he sped off, pulling his seatbelt on as she heard a shout from outside, “Ok so I may have to explain.”

 

“You better start doing that.”

 

“...........There’s someone looking for me, because I blew off a responsibility.” Aaron stated plainly, “And Maria was not too happy about it.”

 

“Maria?”

 

“Oh um a member of the pack, I’m the Beta so I kinda have some things to do.”

 

“I see.”

 

They drove in silence, “You could have left me in the parking lot.”

 

“I could have.” He flashed her a small smile that made her rather weak in the knees, “But you’re a fun person to have around, and you have great taste in music.”

 

She was not blushing, “Well you can apologise by buying me a burger.”

 

He smiled softly, slowing the car so she could climb into the front seat, “Deal.”

 

* * *

 

“So wait hang on, what would drive you to the point of getting disowned?” Aphmau asked him, a burger in her lap stealing chips from his portion, “I mean, I know it’s not really my business. But Garroth would kill to know how you did it!”

 

He laughs, “Well my parents wanted me to run the company, when Melissa was clearly the better option from the get go, like seriously she had a main business timeline when she was ten!” He steals what remains of the chip back, “I also wanted to be a teacher, I went through a period of my life where I did a lot of…”

 

“I stole a maserati when I was fifteen with Zane so if you don’t feel comfortable saying anything there’s something.” She shrugged, taking a bite of her burger.

 

Aaron raised an eyebrow at her in a sort of ‘Really’ way, “Then yes, ok. I got in trouble a lot, and my music teacher Mr.Rock- Yes his actual name -talked to me, brought up things he’d done while on tour with his old band, and gave me my guitar.” He tapped the steering wheel of his car, “Then when he was offered a job in the UK, he called me knowing I was getting my teaching degree… So that’s the whole story.”

 

“Well it’s not the whole story-”

 

“Garroth wants the answers to how to get disowned, he’s going to have to ask me himself.”

 

Aphmau seemed to think it over for a moment, “Or we invite you to play Truth or Dare - Lucinda Edition.”

 

He blinked at her, “What the hell is that?” She laughs reaching for her coke and sipping it.

 

“Lucinda makes truth potions that every player takes before we start the game, it’s actually kind of fun.” She laughed, “It’s how we got Zane and KC to tell us what happened the summer before college, they both ramble when their drunk.”

 

“What happened the summer before college?”

 

“Not my story to tell.”

 

They sat in companionable silence, finishing off their food to the sounds of Neon Trees, “So how’s the dinner gonna go down?” She asked offering up the last of her own chips towards him.

 

“Well, we’ll arrive. Mum will ask you about what you do for a living, how long we’ve been together, the normal stuff.” He adjusted his glasses, “My younger sisters are the ones who’ll question you within an inch of your life though.”

 

“Sisters?” She asked, and he smiled.

 

“I have three, Melissa who’s the oldest, then Lilith and Elena, their the same age we took Lilith in when her parents passed away…” His tone drops down a little bit, “But she’s perfectly happy with us I think, though from what I hear they’ve been trying to get my Dad to agree to let them come to Phoenix Drop High.”

 

Aphmau smiles and his cheeks heat quietly, “You teach at PDH? I went there.”

 

“So did I.”

 

“You did?”

 

“Yep. Though it was only really for the second half of Junior year, then senior year as well.” Aaron pushed his hood off his head, “I did not enjoy it very much, though I do have one fond memory of the first week of school, a freshman yelled at me in detention for being a dick-” At her wide eyes he paused, “I was being a dick, blunt and rude, but anyway. Her face screws up as she tries to say ‘Fuck you’ and she stutters, I went home and resisted the urge to tell Shu about it.”

 

When he looks back at Aphmau he sees her eyes light up in recognition, “Shu? Wait there isn’t a slight chance you used to play a fantasy game called ‘Legend Diaries’ is there?”

 

“Um, yeah my nickname was Flaming Chaos, so everyone just called me-”

 

 _“FC?_ ” Her voice was so quiet, and he realised then and there as he replied with.

 

_“Shu?”_


End file.
